Oratio in ascensionem domini

Of Saint Athanasius, Archbishop of Alexandria, on the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ. He who in the beginning before the ages was God Word with God, the ransom of our souls, the war against the devil, the freedom of the inhabited world; he who contrives all things by word in order to lead us up to his own dignity by grace; he who raised us who had fallen through sin by stooping down to us through the incarnation; he who regenerated us who had been put to death through disobedience by his visitation to us and did not abandon the Father; he who trod the earth and filled the heavens with himself while being with us bodily; he who became everything that we are without sin and remained unchanged; he who refused to suffer nothing for our sake in order to lead us to impassibility; he who was nailed to the cross and opened the locks of paradise; this one who undertook the struggle against the devil for us and crushed the sting of sin and burned up the arrogance of the Jews and emptied the grandeur of their priesthood and razed their temple after they began to lay profane hands, ended the covenant, stopped the worship, and summoned the nations; he who abolished death and made earth heaven by the conduct of angelic ways of life, and nailed the hand-written bond of sin against us to the cross, and called us who had become subject to sin back to adoption through the economy of the Spirit. Today he ascended whence he never departed.

Do not sketch the economy as a shadow, do not consider the salvation a phantom, do not call the truth a shadow. You have heard that he descended. Understand it thus: he descended here and did not empty the heavens of himself, for since he was uncircumscribed in nature, he fills both heaven and earth according to the prophetic saying. And he was with Mary and with the Father and with Pilate and with angels and in heaven, in Hades and on earth and in the air; for he was God and the charioteer of all things. He came where he was, he ascended whence he was not absent. He was in the world; therefore, being in the world in his divinity, how did he come into the world? But because, while being in the world in his divinity, he was not seen bodily, he takes up the body so that through the body, as through a mirror, we, seeing God, might be led to piety. Let us reverse the argument: therefore, while being on earth, was he in the heavens? Did he ascend where he was? But it is not my purpose to contend, for war should not be mingled with peace. Let us come to join the dance with him who has today conquered for us; therefore, as he ascends into the heavens, let us all follow him, let us cast off the bodily, let us renounce pleasures, let us become entirely spirits so that, following him, we may hear the heavenly powers saying: "Lift up the gates, you rulers, and be lifted up, eternal gates, and the King of Glory will enter." And to those asking, "Who is this King of Glory?" let us, who have experienced the benefaction, reply, and let us, the liberated, say: "The Lord is mighty and powerful; the Lord is powerful in war; he is the King of Glory.

Nothing of the salvation that was to come to us has been concealed by the prophets, nothing has been stored away in secret. All that Christ was about to suffer for us, these things he prefigured through prophetic voices, so that when God came to us and suffered the things of men, we who had heard beforehand would not be astonished. He was about to be born as a man, and the prophet Isaiah says: Behold, the virgin will conceive in her womb and bear a son, and they will call his name Emmanuel. The wonder spoke beforehand to the prophet. He was about to be crucified, and the same Isaiah says: He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer, speechless, and so forth. In this you have both the gentleness and the authority, and the suffering for us, and the whole economy bound together into one wonder. He was about to be slapped and scourged, and the same one says again: I have given my back to the lashes, and my cheeks to the slaps. He was about to be nailed to wood, and he proclaimed beforehand through the prophet David, saying: They dug through my hands and feet. He was about to drink vinegar when thirsty, and he says through David: They put gall into my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. He was about to ascend into the heavens to his own, to his father's realm, although all things were his and he fills all things. Yet, ascending to the station befitting him, since he was about to undergo even this initiation for us, he says through the prophet Isaiah: Who is this coming from Edom? But bear with me a little, beloved, so that I may tell you the subject of the present festival, and I will teach you how to celebrate, not as one who does not know, but as one who knows.

I remind you, so that I may set you more precisely in the narrative, that you may sincerely worship the power of the one who suffered for you. Since he was about to ascend into the heavens, having endured everything for our sake. But he ascended not as he descended; for he descended bodiless, he ascends with a body, no longer suffering the things of the body; yet in a mixed manner, without confusion, one with the power of the divinity. Since, then, he was ascending into the heavens, the heavenly powers, astonished at the extraordinary events, say: Who is this arriving from Edom? Who ascends from earth into the heavens? No one has descended thus from above. We have not been accustomed to receive such a body; a man does not travel through the air, he does not travel through the heavens. Who is this arriving from Edom? Who ascends from earth into the heavens? For Edom is interpreted as earth. Who, they say, is the one cutting through the aether-traveling gates? Who is the one becoming mightier than the elements? Who is the one who has changed nature? Who leads the earthly up into the heavens? Who has freed the captive Adam? We see an image treading the heavens, we are astonished at what is happening. Who is this arriving from Edom? The speech is of those at a loss, the thought of those who do not know. The Son of God escaped notice; he did not communicate his descent to the angels, he did not communicate it to the powers; he descended, concealing his presence, so that he might secretly triumph over the tyrant. It was not a time for a retinue; there was need of dishonor, so that the servants might not learn; for this reason the master is silent. Since, then, the powers above did not witness the descent, at the ascent they are astonished, seeing a new wonder and a thing contrary to nature being accomplished, and they say to one another:

Who is this one who comes from Edom, the reddening of whose garments is from Bosor? Bosor is again interpreted as flesh; therefore, the reddening of his garments from Bosor is from flesh. What then is this reddening? It is the blood that came forth from his side. For he preserves, as we have often said, the side and the blood for the Jews, so that when they see him in glory they may not deny the cross and say, "We did not crucify this one." For this reason he also displays the blood and the traces of the wounded side, so that he may put them to shame at the time of his kingdom. The reddening of his garments from Bosor, beautiful in a violent garment. Violent is interpreted as power, but among others it is interpreted as very, exceedingly, and especially. Therefore he says beautiful in a very garment, since by taking upon himself our dishonor he freed those enslaved to shame through the glory of his sufferings and recalled them to freedom. That he was in dishonor, the prophet says: We saw him and he had neither form nor beauty, but his form was dishonorable, inferior to the sons of men. For he was subject to spittings, to shame, to mockery, to hunger, to thirst, to tribunals, to judgments, to the assemblies of the Jews, to threats, to laughter, to insults.

in persecutions, in slanders and constraints, at one time moving from Galilee to Judea, at another being driven from Judea to Caesarea; being in these things, truly he had neither form nor beauty. But since he has conquered these and, having passed through them, has shown his divinity unharmed, since he remained impassible in sufferings, unharmed in insults, the nourisher of all in hunger, the savior of all in persecutions, the liberator of all in constraints, since he has taken the crown of thorns from us and placed upon the head of the faithful a crown of precious stone, all those shameful things having been trampled, glory having run back to Adam, the angelic powers say: beautiful in a violent garment. And let no one blame me for what reason I now go forth to this prophetic saying, saying: for was this not proclaimed before now, was this not read now, did we not hear Isaiah now? Let no one blame me, beloved; let no one appear fond of slander. For if I had drawn a narrative from outside the festival and another subject for a song, blame me as untimely and foolish; but if I have brought forth a prophetic narrative fitting for this festival at the right time, receive it persuasively and accept it kindly, and tarry with me a little, and I will show you even angels learning who the one who ascended is, and Christ again associating with servants and relating the mystery of our salvation. What then does the prophet say? Who is this one who comes from Edom, the reddening of whose garments is from Bosor, beautiful in a violent garment?

These things are said by the angels, by the powers above; and to these things Christ does not respond, for he is not disdainful; he knows how to associate even with slaves, he knows how to answer servants who ask, "Who is this one arriving from Edom?" He answers in turn and says, "With strength I speak of righteousness and judgment of salvation." O the beautiful and lordly utterance! O the truth that befits him alone! "With strength," he says, "I speak of righteousness and judgment of salvation." Do you wish to learn strength? While being crucified, he conquered—behold, strength. While bound, he enslaved—behold, strength. He is seized as a man—behold, strength. And if you wish to learn righteousness, learn. The devil took you, though you were not his; he drove you for a long time, not having formed you among mountains and glens; he terrified you, he placed a yoke upon you, though he was not your master. The true shepherd came, he tore you away from the wolf, he wrought righteousness with you, and then it is fulfilled: "With strength I speak of righteousness and judgment of salvation." Not, however, because of our own achievements, for we did not by our good deeds persuade God to become incarnate. It was not our righteousness that brought him down to earth, but the tyrant's lawlessness, so that the tyrant might learn not to bind another's sheep. "With strength," he says, "I speak of righteousness and judgment of salvation." He speaks of the action; he is silent about the title. For when asked, "Who is this?" he does not say, "I am your master," but he was silent about this, wishing to be known from his deeds. "With strength I speak of righteousness and judgment of salvation.

And for a time he is silent, having said these things, and again the chorus of angels responds and says to him: "Why are your garments and your clothes red, as if from a full, trodden winepress that has been trampled?" And so that no one might think our words are fabricated or that we have gathered voices from many prophecies, one will find these things hanging on a single page. Therefore they have a single sequence, like a well-fitted body, in the prophet Isaiah. And what will he say? Read the end, the diligent and studious one, and you will find that we did not collect these things from many prophecies, but we took one sequence and explained it. Then, as I said, the angels to him: "Why are your garments and your clothes red, as if from a full, trodden winepress that has been trampled?" We see the red garments; we wish to learn the cause. For since, when asked who you are, you were silent about your essence, you kept your dignity in reserve and proclaimed to us suffering and judgment and announced justice. So, leaving aside learning those things—for perhaps what we see is beyond our hearing—they say, we wish to ask: "Why are your garments red?" Not a single moment is idle for the Savior; while on earth he suffers for us, while ascending to the heavens he teaches angels. "Why are your garments and your clothes red, as if from a full, trodden winepress?" A noble precision of the prophet, or rather of the all-knowing power of the Holy Spirit. For I do not attribute such a thing to Isaiah, nor do I accept his words as his own.

When he is presented as a cithara, I conceive of the God who makes music in him, and through Isaiah I receive the things of the Spirit, and I conceive of God speaking through a human being. But perhaps someone will say again: "What then? Does the Spirit not know? 'Why are your garments red?' Does the same utterance suit the Spirit? Does the Spirit not know the things in Christ? Does the Spirit not know what the Son suffered? Does the Spirit not know what he endured for us? For what reason, then, does the Spirit ask?" It asks these things not as a sign of ignorance, for the Spirit speaks through the prophets. It speaks not as from one person, but it adapts the discourse to the subjects at hand. And that this is so, wait a little, beloved, and receive the proofs of these things. For you will find in the prophetic words voices from the person of the Father, and from the person of the Son, and from the person of the Holy Spirit, and from the person of the angels, and from the person of the prophet, and from the person of the Jews; and you will not attach all these things that are said to God. For neither, because the Spirit utters them, will you be compelled to refer all these things to the essence of the Holy Spirit. For instance, from the person of the Father it says: "I have begotten you today; ask of me, and I will give you nations as your inheritance and the ends of the earth as your possession." The prophet speaks in the Spirit, but the saying does not suit the Spirit, but the Father—not as though the Holy Spirit were alienated, but as the Spirit speaking from the person of the Father. Again, from the person of the Son: "They divided my garments among themselves and cast lots for my clothing.

These things do not suit the Spirit; they did not divide the garments of the Spirit among themselves; they did not cut up the tunics of the Spirit. But the Spirit speaks from the person of the Son. It speaks again from its own person when it says: "Set apart for me Saul and Barnabas for the work to which I have called them." Behold, it is from the person of the Spirit, and the utterance does not suit the Father or the Son. For when we hear that the Holy Spirit said: "Set apart for me Saul and Barnabas for the work to which I have called them," we refer the force of the sayings to the Holy Spirit, not alienating the utterance from the Father and the Son, but giving the appropriate person to the passage. Again, from the person of the prophet: "Behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and my mother bore me in sins." Therefore, he did not speak in the Spirit; the utterance does not suit the Spirit; he was not conceived in iniquities, nor did his mother bear him in sins. Just as here you hear "David," but you understand that the prophet speaks through the Holy Spirit, so also there, when you hear: "Why are your garments and your clothes red, as from a trodden winepress?" understand that it is spoken through the Spirit from the person of the angels. "Why are your garments and your clothes red, as from a trodden winepress full of trampled grapes?" Then Christ answers and says: "I trod the winepress alone." Truly Christ trod a winepress, the winepress of our passions, the winepress of our evils; for he crushed those grapes and raised other winepresses. Concerning these things David sings and says:

How beloved are your tabernacles, O Lord of the powers. And since this psalm has just been read to us, consider, beloved, or rather learn from us, if you please, that this psalm has the following superscription: A psalm concerning the winepresses. Therefore, as I said, having stopped that winepress of the adversaries, he raised up for us another, heavenly one. But let us take up the text again. What then does Christ say? I alone trod the winepress. For who else suffered for us? Was Paul crucified for us, or were we baptized in the name of Paul? Christ the Son of God alone was crucified for us, he alone suffered for us, he alone saved us: I alone trod the winepress. Do not again, O beloved, exclude the Father from the economy, nor again the Holy Spirit; do not say that the Father did not know that the Son was suffering. But he both knew and foresaw and consented, yet he did not suffer with him, nor did the Spirit; for the Son alone undertook the economy for us. But neither did he himself suffer physically in his divinity, but he undertook for us the sufferings of the economy into himself; yet he did not suffer, since he was God. I alone, he says, trod the winepress, and there was no man of the nations with me. No prophet, no righteous man, no patriarch, no saint.

For he says somewhere: "My friends and my neighbors drew near and stood opposite me. I trod the winepress alone. For you have removed my acquaintances from me, and there was no man of the nations with me." Do you wish to learn that none of the nations was with him? Consider the time of the Passion: for when Christ was being crucified, Peter and John and the others abandoned him and fled, and again ran to the fishing of fish. There was no one of the nations with him. "I trod the winepress alone, and there was no man of the nations with me. I prevailed," he says, "in the struggle alone, I prevailed in the victory alone, but also I conquered utterly alone. I bestow the victory upon my own; for even if they were enemies by choice, yet by nature they were my own work. I trod the winepress alone, and there was no man of the nations with me, and I trampled them in my wrath," and so forth. And immediately he adds the reason for treading the winepress and why he trod it, and says: "For the day of retribution came for them. I was patient," he says, "with the devil for a long time, I endured his tyranny, I saw my work crushed and I bore it. But since the day of retribution arrived, since I deigned to become merciful toward the many sins of my creatures, since I pitied Adam who insulted me, the time came and, gathering all the demons together like grapes into one, I alone trod their winepress, and there was no man of the nations with me." And what then? It was a day of retribution.

To these things, the heavenly powers, taking up the riddle and mystically perceiving what it is that the Lord utters to them—or rather, illuminated to this truth through the activity of the Holy Spirit—answer to these things and say: "I remembered the mercy of the Lord. For I know," they say, "what the Lord said through the other prophets, what he promised to Adam; I know what he said then. He promised to come to earth and to suffer as a man the things of men. These things we see with our eyes: I remembered the mercy of the Lord." These things the prophet Isaiah cries out concerning today, he initiates this day, because the lower powers, having been thus revealed, said: "Who is this coming from Edom, the redness of his garments from Bozrah?" After this inquiry and after the other examinations, after this precision of the words and after the great clarity of the mysteries, after Christ had left nothing unsaid, they cried out according to David: "Lift up the gates, your rulers, and be raised up, eternal gates, and the king of glory will enter." The higher powers answered them and say: "Who is this ascending, and why," they say, "do you cry out, 'Lift up the gates, your rulers, and be raised up, eternal gates, and the king of glory will enter'?" These things

The nearby powers, hearing, say: “The Lord is mighty and strong, the Lord is strong in war.” For there are orders even among the bodiless, and many successions within them; and not all are angels, not all are thrones, not all are lordships, but there are also ranks that have been surpassed and powers that have been surpassed. Since, then, the higher powers received an answer to their question, they say: “We have learned who this king of glory is.” For when they learned who the one ascending is, they no longer need interpretation, they no longer need long speeches, but they say: “The Lord of the powers, he himself is the king of glory.” Up to this point I have followed the master, having the wing of my mind too weak for those things. Would that it were possible for me, if I had the strength, to ascend with him to the mountain of the divine vision, so that I might see Jesus, since, as it is said, he who clings to the Lord is one spirit, and God has revealed to us through his Spirit. Let us, therefore, ascend with Christ to heaven, brothers; let us not remain on earth, let us not again think earthly thoughts, let us not again concern ourselves with desires, let us not again concern ourselves with plunder, let us not again concern ourselves with love of money; do not be lifted up, for you too fall from heaven like lightning. May this not happen to one who follows Christ. For we are convinced concerning you, beloved, of better things and that we have salvation, even if we speak thus. We say these things for your security, as the apostle says: “For me to speak is not irksome, for you it is safe.” May it be that all of us blamelessly follow Christ and attain his kingdom.

to him is the glory for ever and ever. Amen. The same from a homily delivered in the church of Cyrinus, on the thirteenth of the month of Phamenoth according to the Egyptians, in which he interprets the saying of Isaiah that reads: "Death, having prevailed, swallowed up, and again God removed every tear from every face." For the God of all, being indeed life and life-giver, wished man to be an imperishable living being on earth, even though he is of a perishable nature. But the other, since he was wicked and envious, plotted against the race, opposed the will of the creator, cunningly led him into disobedience, knowing that through it he would fall into death.